Monty Brinton/CBS ©2018 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved(NEW YORK) — At the top of the CBS chat show The Talk on Monday, CBS star Julie Chen very briefly mentioned the sexual harassment allegations against her husband, CBS-TV president and CEO Les Moonves.
Referencing a Friday tweet in support of Moonves in which she called him a, “good man, a loving father” and a “kind, decent, and moral human being,” the Big Brother host mentioned she won’t be addressing the situation any further, and added that she stands “by that statement today, tomorrow, forever.”
An article by Ronan Farrow published in The New Yorker Friday alleges that “six women who had professional dealings” with Moonves claim he sexually harassed them between the 1980s and early 2000s.
One of the accusers, actor and producer Illeana Douglas, tells Farrow she went to Moonves’ office for a script meeting in 1997 where, she says, he held her down on his couch, “violently kissing” her. She adds, “The physicality of it was horrendous.”
In a statement to The New Yorker, Moonves denied any allegations of sexual assault but acknowledged, “I recognize that there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely,” However, he insists, “I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone’s career.”
In a statement to ABC, CBS’ independent board of directors said, “All allegations of personal misconduct are to be taken seriously” and added that it will investigate the accusations, after which “the Board will promptly review the findings and take appropriate action.”
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